The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are headed for a high-stakes diplomatic showdown over the leadership of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), as regional tensions spill into one of the world’s largest French-speaking institutions.
The race for secretary general of the OIF - a bloc representing more than 320 million French speakers across 90 states and governments comes as fighting continues in eastern Congo between Kinshasa and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels.
Rwanda is backing incumbent Louise Mushikiwabo for a third term, while Congo has fielded Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of Congo’s independence leader Patrice Lumumba.
Reuters reports that Kinshasa has intensified diplomatic efforts in support of Lumumba’s candidacy since announcing her bid in late February. As part of the campaign, she has visited several African countries and Canada, the second-largest financial contributor to the OIF.
The diplomatic contest comes at a sensitive moment for the Francophone world, particularly in Africa, where several French-speaking nations have increasingly distanced themselves from France amid growing anti-French sentiment, military tensions and shifting geopolitical alliances.
